Easter Bunny to pay visit to Phillips Park

The Easter Bunny has found time in his busy schedule to squeeze a solo appearance and visit Aurora area children at Phillips Park this month. 

He will be appearing at the Stover Visitors Center at the Park, 1000 Ray Moses Dr., on Saturday, March 30, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. and will be glad to pose for photographs with the kids.  The event is sponsored by the Friends of Phillips Park.  Parents should bring their cameras. 

The Friends of Phillips Park are also reminding park patrons that the Visitors Center is now open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Information is available by calling the city’s customer service center at (630) 256-INFO (4636).

St. Charles opens early vorting March 25

Early voting for the April 9 Consolidated Election is available at the St. Charles Municipal Building, 2 E. Main St., for Kane County residents who are registered to vote. Early voting is offered from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday, March 25 to 28, and Monday through Thursday, April 1 to 4.

St. Charles residents in DuPage County can vote early at the DuPage County Election Commission, 421 N. County Farm Rd., Room 1-500B, in Wheaton. Hours, times and additional voting locations are available on the Commission’s website, www.dupageco.org/election.

To vote early, you must present an Illinois driver's license, a non-driver ID card issued by the Illinois Secretary of State, or another government-issued photo ID. For more information, contact the Kane County Clerk’s Office at 630-232-5990 or visit www.kanecountyelections.org.

'Changing Face of Autism' program April 4

Little Friends will host a community presentation on Thursday, April 4 titled “The Changing Face of Autism.” Dr. Cynthia Brouillard will present an overview of the changes in diagnostic criteria that will take effect May 2013. 

Attendees will also hear Miranda, a 19-year-old with an Asperger’s diagnosis, talk about her journey on the spectrum, her trials and triumphs and her plans for the future. This event is open to the public and free of charge. 

The presentation will take place at Meiley-Swallow Hall, 31 S. Ellsworth St., at 7 p.m. Because of limited seating, reservations are required. For more information, or to reserve a seat, call (630) 355-6533.

NIU president search down to 'final four'

Northern Illinois University’s version of “March Madness” is advancing as the final four candidates to be the university’s next president have been selected to return for off-campus interviews with NIU’s Board of Trustees on Friday, March 22.

“This is a critical juncture in the search process, and it comes at a very important time for this university,” said Cherilyn G. Murer, Chair of the NIU Board of Trustees. “The Presidential Search Committee has done a wonderful job of identifying the best candidates to lead NIU for the coming years, and the board looks forward to interviewing each of them and discussing their respective vision for Northern Illinois University should they be selected as the 12th president.”

“We were blessed to have 10 strong, highly-qualified candidates participate in the airport interview phase last week,” said Trustee Robert Boey, who chairs the Presidential Search Advisory Committee. “Now we get to the ‘nitty gritty.’”

Kane County offers summer seasonal jobs

The Forest Preserve District of Kane County has summer-seasonal positions available in its Operations & Maintenance department, including maintenance-field operations positions and campground attendant positions.

Applicants must be 18 years of age or older, with a high school diploma or GED equivalent and a valid driver’s license. As forest preserves are open every day, sunrise to sunset, shifts may include irregular hours as well as weekends, evenings and holidays.

Positions are at Big Rock Campground, within Big Rock Forest Preserve. 

The positions have a start date of July 1 and run through the end of October. Campground attendant responsibilities include providing information and answering questions to the public; collecting fees; operating the check-in station; monitoring campground activities; selling firewood to campers; mowing, inspecting and cleaning restrooms and grounds; and other duties as assigned.

See the Employment section of our web site at www.kaneforest.com to apply,

A day of 'tomfoolery' April 1 at Kline Creek

At Kline Creek Farm, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County’s 1890s living history farm in West Chicago, visitors gain insight to our county’s agricultural heritage through demonstrations of farm life. 

But during the farm’s “April Fools’ Adventure” on Monday, April 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., they’ll experience a day of tomfoolery and pranks designed to entertain and inform farm fans of all ages.

From the barn to the farmhouse parlor, visitors will find puns, jokes and items that are simply out of place. Even the costumed guides may be trying to pull one over on the public and testing their knowledge of history in the process. 

Visitors will learn the truth behind the rumors of the spandex fashion craze at the turn of the century, the 100-pound chicken raised at the farm and the odd birds in the farm’s orchard.

“Visitors should wear their history hats and bring their sense of humor to the seek-and-find challenge to locate the many items that only show up at the farm on April Fools’ Day,” says staff member Dennis Buck, the program’s coordinator. 

Registration is not required for the free “April Fools’ Adventure” event. Kline Creek Farm, 1N600 County Farm Road, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Admission is free. For information on the farm, call 630-876-5900 or visit www.dupageforest.org/klinecreekfarm.